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About this project

Cyclephant 2013 Collection

Hello! I’m Ava Marie Carmichael, designer and owner of Cyclephant. I have been a professional fashion designer for over 10 years and I currently live in Denver, CO. My passion for cycling and the desire to create something more meaningful led me to design and sew my first bicycle bag, which eventually became the Cyclephant collection.

My project began in my tiny apartment in Denver, with a $750 start-up cost and two sewing machines. I worked Cyclephant on the weekends, while I worked full-time as a denim designer during the week.
After almost a year in the making, I feel as though I have created an exceptional line of bicycle bags that offer quality and functionality with a vintage, luxury style.

The "Paris" Pannier in black canvas with leather trim

The "Paris" Pannier

Created from the inspirational threads of European and vintage American heritage, the Cyclephant collection offers classic styling for the refined, modern bicycle commuter.

The "Brussels" Messengers in Leather and Canvas

Cyclephant bags are made from 22 and 24 oz. waterproof cotton duck canvas, lined in rich, ultra suede and trimmed with vegetable tanned cowhide leather and brass hardware. All of the bags except the "Paris" panniers come with leather cross-body straps. The leather messenger bags are hand made in the USA, using only the finest leathers and craftsmanship.

The "Brussels" Leather Messenger, handcrafted in USA

The "Brussels" Leather Messenger

The "Brussels" Large Canvas Messenger

The "Prague" Medium Messenger

The "Amsterdam" Handlebar Bag

The "Amsterdam" Handlebar Bag in Black

Cyclephant 2013 Collection

WHY KICKSTARTER?

I have spent the last 8 months designing the line, sourcing fabrics, creating samples, building the website and working with factories both in USA and overseas. I've taken this project as far as I can with my limited resources and this is where I need your help.

It's now time to go into production and get these bags into peoples' hands worldwide. With your support, we will be able to go into a full production run as well as add eCommerce to the website. And you will not only help to bring a fabulous product to market but you will be supporting a small, locally owned business and a huge dream.

Cyclephant embossed leather key fob

This campaign will end on Dec. 27th!From the bottom of my heart, I sincerely THANK YOU for your support!

Risks and challenges

With 10 years as a professional designer, I feel as though my extensive experience and background has prepared me for the challenges ahead. I have worked with both domestic and foreign factories in all aspects of design, sourcing, manufacturing and shipping.

My current risk in this project is that the demand could potentially exceed my current projections, which could cause a slight delay in our shipping dates. Our factory here in the USA makes our leather bags by hand, and on a small scale at this time. This is why I have capped the number of available leather bags at 150. If the demand for the leather bags is more than 150, I can offer another delivery in March/April.

The other factory that I use, which is overseas, does all of the canvas accessories. Unfortunately, I was unable to find a US manufacturer who had the capabilities or manpower. Many of the companies I approached here in US either didn't have the capacity to take on more work or they weren't able to do it in a cost-effective manner.

I have been in close communication with the overseas factory and the only challenge we may face is delays associated with shipping. To avoid this risk, I have projected the fulfillment time for March in order to provide ample time to account for overseas shipping.

FAQ

Since Kickstarter does not allow pledges on more than one reward, or if you have already pledged on a reward and you want an additional item, you will have to "Manage your Pledge" and raise your total to account for the extra reward that you want. Send me a note to let me know what you want. At the end of the campaign I will also send out a survey to confirm or update your contact/shipping address.